High Speed Rail Lines To Become Popular Mode of Transport for EU

The new European rail lines will see the most recent phase realized on December 13 of next year. Travellers will be able to make an international train crossing from Brussels to Amsterdam in just under two hours. Additionally, the new rail line will also connect Cologne, Germany with Brussels in approximately one hour and forty minutes.

The new high speed rail line which is being set between Belgium and the Netherlands will connect Antwerp with the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. The Thalys will be able to maintain speeds of up to 300km/h which will be one of the fastest rail links on the planet. The new speed capabilities will take 49 minutes off of existing travel times between Amsterdam and Brussels.

Thalys operators anticipate that when the new high speed service comes into effect, passenger numbers will increase by 65 percent between Paris and Amsterdam. Additionally passengers will increase 30 percent between Paris and Cologne. Since this will be the case, Thalys will also be increasing available services with more frequent of services to Brussels, Paris, and Amsterdam.
The new expedited line is expected to give airlines a new challenge as it will offer a much faster travel time than previous rail travel at a cheaper price than flying. European high speed rail as seen more and more activity as it becomes for feasible and economical.

Earlier in 2009, the EU said that it will open up the competitive market to international rail lines in January of 2010 to encourage even more activity in the rail travel sector. The Eurostar services which connect Great Britain and France via the English Channel is also expected to be popular increasing in use.